NIAMEY, Niger: An Indian national was killed and another abducted in what India’s embassy termed a “terrorist” attack in southwestern Niger, while a third is listed as missing, it said in a statement.
Local sources said unidentified armed attackers ambushed a Nigerien army unit providing security at a construction site for an electrical line in the Dosso region, around 100 kilometers (63 miles) from the capital Niamey.
Urging Indian nationals in Niger to be “vigilant,” India’s embassy in Niamey said it was in contact with the employer and families of the victims as well as the Nigerian government to facilitate repatriation of the dead man’s remains.
It said it was also working to secure the release of the person abducted in the attack, which took place Tuesday near the Nigerian border.
Local sources and social media posts suggested at least one Nigerien soldier was killed in the attack, which authorities had not yet commented on Friday.
Niger, under military rule following a 2023 coup, has faced around a decade of violence perpetrated by jihadists affiliated to Al-Qaeda and the Daesh group.
The Dosso region borders both Nigeria and Benin, where attacks regularly target civilians, the army and also a giant oil pipeline transporting crude from Niger to Benin.
The authorities generally blame such attacks on “terrorists” or “bandits.”
Dosso borders the western town of Tillaberi near the borders with Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, which has become a stronghold for militant groups.
According to official Indian sources, five Indian technicians were kidnapped in an April 25 attack just north of the nearby town of Sakoira.
Twelve Nigerien soldiers were killed in that attack.
Earlier this month, three Indian nationals working in Mali were kidnapped from a cement factory in the west of the country.
